Disturbing patterns of mistreatment, discrimination, violence and harassment, with knock-on impacts on health and HIV risk, have been revealed by the largest ever survey of transgender people living in the United States of America (USA).

Startling health and economic disparities between transgender people and the rest of the US population have been brought to light by the US Transgender Survey (USTS), an anonymous online study of more than 27,700 trans people.

HIV prevalence stood at 1.4% of respondents — nearly five times the rate in the US population as a whole (0.3%). A staggering one in five (19%) Black trans women who took part in the survey were living with HIV. American Indian (4.6%) and Latina (4.4%) women also reported higher rates. Of those living with HIV, 87% were on antiretroviral treatment compared to the US’s national treatment rate of 94%.

Mara Keisling, Executive Director of the National Center for Transgender Equality, the organisation that conducted the survey, said: “Despite achieving some significant policy advances and increased visibility over the past few years, transgender people continue to face enormous obstacles in almost every area of their lives…This survey demonstrates that there is a lot of work ahead to achieve simple parity and full equality for transgender people.” Read more via AVERT